Megan's life was falling apart. Then a kind stranger swooped in to help
After Megan Atherton was evicted from her home, her car broke down. She had a long drive ahead and nowhere to go, until a kind stranger stepped in.
kindness
'I got you, girl': A toll collector's unexpected reply to a driver's tears
When the toll collector asked Leahruth Jemilo how she was doing, she burst into tears. The collector's response has stayed with her ever since.
A rideshare driver makes an hourslong trek to take a dad to his gravely ill daughter
When Ian Sandler got a middle-of-the-night call that his daughter had collapsed, he didn't know what to do. Then, an Uber driver went above and beyond to help.
She was floundering in the ocean. Then a young boy came to her rescue
Nearly 60 years ago, when she was 16, Denise Elliott brought a friend to the Bahamas for a vacation. What happened has stayed with her ever since.
She was 19 and caused a car crash. It was the other driver who came to her aid
As Lilah Clevey pulled out of a gas station, she slammed into another car. The driver then became the unexpected source of comfort in Clevey's moment of panic.
'Here's the money. Buy a house': A kind family receives kindness in return
Joy Diaz and her parents were dedicated to helping others. Then, they received some life-changing help themselves.
A simple smile saved this man's life
Ken Wilcox's life felt hopeless, like there was nowhere left to turn. Then a simple act from a stranger on the street changed his perspective and his life.
'I was broken and needed help': After her father died, a stranger stepped in
When Roxanne Olson found herself in the middle of a security scare at Chicago's O'Hare airport, a woman walked up to her and said: "I'm here to help people like you."
A funeral home worker tracked down a family — and uncovered a decades-old secret
A worker at a funeral home managed to locate the family members of an ailing woman. She didn't realize she was uncovering a family secret that went back to the 1940s.
We asked, you answered: Share an encounter with a stranger that lifted your spirits
Just saying "hello" to a passerby can be a boon for both of you. That's what researchers are finding in studies we covered in our "Living Better" series. We asked readers to offer their own testimony.